2Department of Medical Oncology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara-Türkiye DOI : 10.5505/tjo.2025.4513 OBJECTIVE
The benefit of adding chemotherapy (CHT) to radiotherapy (RT) in stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains uncertain. This study evaluates the impact of CHT on survival outcomes in these patients.
METHODS
A retrospective analysis was conducted on 107 AJCC 8th edition stage II NPC patients treated with RT
alone or combined RT and CHT between 1994 and 2021.
RESULTS
Of the cohort, 31% received RT alone, while 69% underwent combined RT and CHT. After a median follow-
up of 98 months, locoregional recurrence and distant metastasis rates were similar between groups.
The addition of CHT did not significantly improve 10-year overall, locoregional recurrence-free, or
distant metastasis-free survival. Subgroup analyses revealed no survival benefit of CHT, even in patients
with lymph node metastasis or those treated using two-dimensional RT techniques.
CONCLUSION
For AJCC 8th edition stage II NPC patients, RT alone is an effective treatment, with no additional survival
benefit from the inclusion of CHT. Further research is warranted to identify specific subgroups of
patients who may derive benefit from the incorporation of CHT.